areopagitica-第9节

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pillars　in　a　warm　benefice；　to　be　easily　inclinable；　if　he　have

nothing　else　that　may　rouse　up　his　studies；　to　finish　his　circuit

in　an　English　Concordance　and　a　topic　folio；　the　gatherings　and

savings　of　a　sober　graduateship；　a　Harmony　and　a　Catena；　treading

the　constant　round　of　certain　common　doctrinal　heads；　attended　with

their　uses；　motives；　marks；　and　means；　out　of　which；　as　out　of　an

alphabet；　or　sol…fa；　by　forming　and　transforming；　joining　and

disjoining　variously；　a　little　bookcraft；　and　two　hours'

meditation；　might　furnish　him　unspeakably　to　the　performance　of

more　than　a　weekly　charge　of　sermoning：　not　to　reckon　up　the

infinite　helps　of　interlinearies；　breviaries；　synopses；　and　other

loitering　gear。　　But　as　for　the　multitude　of　sermons　ready　printed

and　piled　up；　on　every　text　that　is　not　difficult；　our　London

trading　St。　Thomas　in　his　vestry；　and　add　to　boot　St。　Martin　and

St。　Hugh；　have　not　within　their　hallowed　limits　more　vendible　ware

of　all　sorts　ready　made：　so　that　penury　he　never　need　fear　of

pulpit　provision；　having　where　so　plenteously　to　refresh　his

magazine。　　But　if　his　rear　and　flanks　be　not　impaled；　if　his　back

door　be　not　secured　by　the　rigid　licenser；　but　that　a　bold　book　may

now　and　then　issue　forth　and　give　the　assault　to　some　of　his　old

collections　in　their　trenches；　it　will　concern　him　then　to　keep

waking；　to　stand　in　watch；　to　set　good　guards　and　sentinels　about

his　received　opinions；　to　walk　the　round　and　counter…round　with　his

fellow　inspectors；　fearing　lest　any　of　his　flock　be　seduced；　who

also　then　would　be　better　instructed；　better　exercised　and

disciplined。　　And　God　send　that　the　fear　of　this　diligence；　which

must　then　be　used；　do　not　make　us　affect　the　laziness　of　a

licensing　Church。



For　if　we　be　sure　we　are　in　the　right；　and　do　not　hold　the　truth

guiltily；　which　becomes　not；　if　we　ourselves　condemn　not　our　own

weak　and　frivolous　teaching；　and　the　people　for　an　untaught　and

irreligious　gadding　rout；　what　can　be　more　fair　than　when　a　man

judicious；　learned；　and　of　a　conscience；　for　aught　we　know；　as　good

as　theirs　that　taught　us　what　we　know；　shall　not　privily　from　house

to　house；　which　is　more　dangerous；　but　openly　by　writing　publish　to

the　world　what　his　opinion　is；　what　his　reasons；　and　wherefore　that

which　is　now　thought　cannot　be　sound？　　Christ　urged　it　as　wherewith

to　justify　himself；　that　he　preached　in　public；　yet　writing　is　more

public　than　preaching；　and　more　easy　to　refutation；　if　need　be；

there　being　so　many　whose　business　and　profession　merely　it　is　to

be　the　champions　of　truth；　which　if　they　neglect；　what　can　be

imputed　but　their　sloth；　or　unability？



Thus　much　we　are　hindered　and　disinured　by　this　course　of

licensing；　toward　the　true　knowledge　of　what　we　seem　to　know。　　For

how　much　it　hurts　and　hinders　the　licensers　themselves　in　the

calling　of　their　ministry；　more　than　any　secular　employment；　if

they　will　discharge　that　office　as　they　ought；　so　that　of　necessity

they　must　neglect　either　the　one　duty　or　the　other；　I　insist　not；

because　it　is　a　particular；　but　leave　it　to　their　own　conscience；

how　they　will　decide　it　there。



There　is　yet　behind　of　what　I　purposed　to　lay　open；　the

incredible　loss　and　detriment　that　this　plot　of　licensing　puts　us

to；　more　than　if　some　enemy　at　sea　should　stop　up　all　our　havens

and　ports　and　creeks；　it　hinders　and　retards　the　importation　of　our

richest　merchandise；　truth；　nay；　it　was　first　established　and　put

in　practice　by　Antichristian　malice　and　mystery　on　set　purpose　to

extinguish；　if　it　were　possible；　the　light　of　Reformation；　and　to

settle　falsehood；　little　differing　from　that　policy　wherewith　the

Turk　upholds　his　Alcoran；　by　the　prohibition　of　printing。　　'Tis　not

denied；　but　gladly　confessed；　we　are　to　send　our　thanks　and　vows　to

Heaven　louder　than　most　of　nations；　for　that　great　measure　of　truth

which　we　enjoy；　especially　in　those　main　points　between　us　and　the

Pope；　with　his　appurtenances　the　prelates：　but　he　who　thinks　we　are

to　pitch　our　tent　here；　and　have　attained　the　utmost　prospect　of

reformation　that　the　mortal　glass　wherein　we　contemplate　can　show

us；　till　we　come　to　beatific　vision；　that　man　by　this　very　opinion

declares　that　he　is　yet　far　short　of　truth。



Truth　indeed　came　once　into　the　world　with　her　divine　Master；　and

was　a　perfect　shape　most　glorious　to　look　on：　but　when　he　ascended；

and　his　Apostles　after　him　were　laid　asleep；　then　straight　arose　a

wicked　race　of　deceivers；　who；　as　that　story　goes　of　the　Egyptian

Typhon　with　his　conspirators；　how　they　dealt　with　the　good　Osiris；

took　the　virgin　Truth；　hewed　her　lovely　form　into　a　thousand

pieces；　and　scattered　them　to　the　four　winds。　　From　that　time　ever

since；　the　sad　friends　of　Truth；　such　as　durst　appear；　imitating

the　careful　search　that　Isis　made　for　the　mangled　body　of　Osiris；

went　up　and　down　gathering　up　limb　by　limb；　still　as　they　could

find　them。　　We　have　not　yet　found　them　all；　Lords　and　Commons；　nor

ever　shall　do；　till　her　Master's　second　coming；　he　shall　bring

together　every　joint　and　member；　and　shall　mould　them　into　an

immortal　feature　of　loveliness　and　perfection。　　Suffer　not　these

licensing　prohibitions　to　stand　at　every　place　of　opportunity；

forbidding　and　disturbing　them　that　continue　seeking；　that　continue

to　do　our　obsequies　to　the　torn　body　of　our　martyred　saint。



We　boast　our　light；　but　if　we　look　not　wisely　on　the　sun　itself；

it　smites　us　into　darkness。　　Who　can　discern　those　planets　that　are

oft　combust；　and　those　stars　of　brightest　magnitude　that　rise　and

set　with　the　sun；　until　the　opposite　motion　of　their　orbs　bring

them　to　such　a　place　in　the　firmament；　where　they　may　be　seen

evening　or　morning？　　The　light　which　we　have　gained　was　given　us；

not　to　be　ever　staring　on；　but　by　it　to　discover　onward　things　more

remote　from　our　knowledge。　　It　is　not　the　unfrocking　of　a　priest；

the　unmitring　of　a　bishop；　and　the　removing　him　from　off　the

presbyterian　shoulders；　that　will　make　us　a　happy　nation。　　No；　if

other　things　as　great　in　the　Church；　and　in　the　rule　of　life　both

economical　and　political；　be　not　looked　into　and　reformed；　we　have

looked　so　long　upon　the　blaze　that　Zuinglius　and　Calvin　hath

beaconed　up　to　us；　that　we　are　stark　blind。　　There　be　who

perpetually　complain　of　schisms　and　sects；　and　make　it　such　a

calamity　that　any　man　dissents　from　their　maxims。　　'Tis　their　own

pride　and　ignorance　which　causes　the　disturbing；　who　neither　will

hear　with　meekness；　nor　can　convince；　yet　all　must　be　suppressed

which　is　not　found　in　their　Syntagma。　　They　are　the　troublers；　they

are　the　dividers　of　unity；　who　neglect　and　permit　not　others　to

unite　those　dissevered　pieces　which　are　yet　wanting　to　the　body　of

Truth。　　To　be　still　searching　what　we　know　not　by　what　we　know；

still　closing　up　truth　to　truth　as　we　find　it　（for　all　her　body　is

homogeneal　and　proportional）；　this　is　the　golden　rule　in　theology

as　well　as　in　arithmetic；　and　makes　up　the　best　harmony　in　a

Church；　not　the　forced　and　outward　union　of　cold；　and　neutral；　and

inwardly　divided　minds。



Lords　and　Commons　of　England！　consider　what　nation　it　is　whereof

ye　are；　and　whereof　ye　are　the　governors：　a　nation　not　slow　and

dull；　but　of　a　quick；　ingenious　and　piercing　spirit；　acute　to

invent；　subtle　and　sinewy　to　discourse；　not　beneath　the　reach　of

any　point　the　highest　that　human　capacity　can　soar　to。　　Therefore

the　studies　of　learning　in　her　deepest　sciences　have　been　so

ancient　and　so　eminent　among　us；　that　writers　of　good　antiquity　and

ablest　judgment　have　been　persuaded　that　even　the　school　of

Pythagoras　and　the　Persian　wisdom　took　beginning　from　the　old

philosophy　of　this　island。　　And　that　wise　and　civil　Roman；　Julius

Agricola；　who　governed　once　here　for　Caesar；　preferred　the　natural

wits　of　Britain　before　the　laboured　studies　of　the　French。　　Nor　is

it　for　nothing　that　the　grave　and　frugal　Transylvanian　sends　out

yearly　from　as　far　as　the　mountainous　borders　of　Russia；　and　beyond

the　Hercynian　wilderness；　not　their　youth；　but　their　staid　men；　to

learn　our　language　and　our　theologic　arts。



Yet　that　which　is　above　all　this；　the　favour　and　the　love　of

Heaven；　we　have　great　argument　to　think　in　a　peculiar　manner

propitious　and　propending　towards　us。　　Why　else　was　this　nation

chosen　before　any　other；　that　out　of　her；　as　out　of　Sion；　should　be

proclaimed　and　sounded　forth　the　first　tidings　and　trumpet　of

Reformation　to　all　Europe？　　And　had　it　not　been　the　obstinate

perverseness　of　our　prelates　against　the　divine　and　admirable

spirit　of　Wickliff；　to　suppress　him　as　a　schismatic　and　innovator；

perhaps　neither　the　Bohemian　Huns　and　Jerome；　no　nor　the　name　of

Luther　or　of　Calvin；　had　been　ever　known：　the　glory　of　reforming

all　our　neighbours　had　been　completely　ours。　　But　now；　as　our

obdurate　clergy　have　with　violence　demeaned　the　matter；　we　are

become　hitherto　the　latest　and　the　backwardest